Quote:
Originally Posted by WeekendAtBernies
Schenn has played his best as a center (by far). Giroux plays his best as a center and is bordering on being elite @ faceoffs. Sean Couturier also is a pure center and does his best work playing the center position and shutting down opposing centers like Malkin, Crosby, Stamkos, etc. I wouldn't really want to move any of them to the wing. But that presents a problem, because all three deserve to be 20 min/night players but realistically a team can only have two 20 min/night centers; the guys centering your 1st and 2nd lines. Giroux will always be the #1C and since Schenn is more offensively gifted, I think he'll always be the #2C, which leaves Couturier stuck in the #3C role, where he's constantly see below-average offensive teammates, a ton of defensive zone starts, and match-ups against the opponent's top line nightly.
It's a tough problem to solve, but a nice problem to have If you know what I mean... 
But I think eventually, it could lead to Couturier being traded to land a true #1 defenseman. Especially if Laughton comes up next year and shows that he can excel in a 3rd line / shutdown role. |
^ A well reasoned analysis. I would be inclined to handle it differently though, for a few reasons. If there's one place you can't win if your hockey team sucks, it's defense. However, if there's one place that pays the largest dividends for being above average, it's at center. I will expound on that opinion if you want, but for now let's just take it for granted as my philosophy.
The reasoning behind trading Couturier there works, if we presume he will never be a better offensive player than Schenn. I am not willing to make that presumption, and we know it is very unlikely that Schenn will become the type of defender that Couturier is. Also, any #1d worth trading for is not going to be the #1d we really want. If they were they wouldn't be traded, those guys don't get traded. It'll be a Bouwmeester type of #1D. At the expense of Cutourier, no thank you.
Also, injuries happen. And there are surely going to be series and games where one of Schenn or Couturier needs to play more time for match-up reasons or what have you. And they can surely play some minutes at wing.
I'm of the opinion that when you have players that you think are unusual talents, you don't trade them to have your skill more aligned to a traditional depth chart. You get creative. In-the-box, stick-to-a-depth-chart thinking can't take precedent over getting talent on the ice.
That's just my thinking on it. If a legit #1D that brings something to the table that is otherwise unattainable is available you think about it. But those guys are never available.